The Inside Loop

Check out this new online magazine, which has just launched its first issue. The Inside Loop is 'dedicated to fibre arts in the UK' according to the website.

It's a great idea, I've been thinking for ages how we really need a British (or perhaps European) version of Knitty; although Knit on the Net and Magknits don't do a bad job of filling the gap, neither is quite as well-developed and resourced as Knitty.

So it's nice to see another new kid on the block, with a few articles and patterns to get us going for a start. It will be interesting to see how they develop - I can appreciate how much hard work must go into commissioning, editing and posting all the content, especially as the editors probably have full-time jobs as well.

The one disappointment I had was that despite the fact that the magazine cites the fabulous and extensive fibre resources of the UK, several of the patterns called for yarns from overseas! (America, Australia and Bolivia, to be precise!) Yes, they might well be available from suppliers in the UK, but I would rather see ALL the patterns designed in UK yarns. Or how about having designers give suggestions of UK/overseas alternatives for each pattern? One of the things I particularly liked about Yarn Forward magazine was that every pattern had three suggested yarns - cheap, mid-range and luxury. Nice idea.